


Protection With A Price

by thatmountainhermit



Category: Thomas Sanders
Genre: M/M, Monster Anx, Off-screen death, Unrequited Love, Violence, virge just wanted to protect him, winged anx
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2019-01-16 19:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12349158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatmountainhermit/pseuds/thatmountainhermit
Summary: Anxiety just wanted to protect him.





	1. Chapter 1

He had done it to protect Prince. Because he loved him. Because who could stand back and watch Roman die? Thomas needed the creative trait. And if protecting him from death meant revealing one of the worse sides of himself? So be it. Roman, the others, Thomas - he was their guardian.

Too bad that wasn’t how Roman saw it.

“I forgot that even the monsters in Thomas’ mind can shape-shift.” He said, very quietly, the blade of the katana pressing between Anxiety’s shoulder blade. The steel was colder than the darker trait thought it would be.

And oh, god, there was nothing he could do, was there? “Roman, I’m not a monst-”

The katana pressed a little harder. “Silence. I don’t want to hear any more of your lies, monster.” Roman hissed, and Anxiety froze where he was, his blood becoming ice. There was something… unsteady about the way Roman was talked, something shaky in the sound of his breathing.

Anxiety couldn’t blame him for being scared. Black wings, eyes pitch black, bony claws that were sharpened to points - that were now covered in blood thanks to the fight. He looked like a nightmare. He supposed that he was. There was a reason he tended to hide it.

“I should have known. You’re the only one who consistently brings Thomas down.” How different Roman sounded today, with his voice tinged in disgust and fury. How different it was from yesterday, when he was all sweet words and lingering touches. How Anxiety wished for just one more yesterday.

“Roman…” Anxiety breathed, his eyes falling closed as he prayed for the other to listen. “I’m still me. I’ve always been me. I’m not-”

“I said silence.”

“Roma-”

“ENOUGH.” A searing pain shot through Anxiety’s right wing, and he couldn’t help the unearthly scream that bubbled up out of his throat, his knees buckling from under him.

He knew that he should have known that Roman wouldn’t see him as anything but a monster. That he should have tried harder. That he should have run. But he had been far too blinded by dangerous affections to realise it.

And now he had to pay the price.


	2. Spilled It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath. Roman learns it all.

Blood, dark and sticky-dry, covered his hands. It had stained his tunic, dried in his hair, splattered his face. His katana was coated in it. Roman did not dare look in the mirror as he scrubbed his face, his hands, ripped off his blood-stained tunic and threw his katana to the side.

It was necessary, he told himself. For Thomas’ sake. For all their sakes. It didn’t matter if Anxiety was supposedly their friend, he lied to them. He was probably plotting against him. Why else would he seduce Roman? Why else would he make Roman fall in l-

He shook his head, trying to clear his head of the creeping thoughts that threatened to poison him, to finish what Anxiety no doubt started. He gripped the counter, finally looking up into the mirror.

“Roman.” It echoed in his head, bouncing off every wall and amplifying a thousand times. Anxiety had said nothing else. Just his name.

Roman let out a breath, running his hands through his hair and moving to his wardrobe to get changed. The other tunic would have to be burned. The blood had already set, and seeped far too deep into the fabric. There was no other alternative.

He tried not to think about the reason why it was so badly stained. He tried not to think about it for a week.

Until the inevitable happened.

“Roman, have you seen Anxiety recently? I’m worried. I haven’t seen him in a while.” Patton brought it up so casually, and Prince nearly choked on air.

He hadn’t told the others, he remembered. It wasn’t like he’d had time. Monsters had become more active recently, and so most of his time had been taken up with fighting them. Most nights he had been barely coherent enough to get through dinner, tired from a full day of slaying dragons and witches and other such creatures.

“He’s probably forgotten that normal people sleep during the night, and are awake during the day.” Roman replied flippantly. He could have sighed with relief when Patton seemed to accept it.

As soon as the other trait was gone, he scrambled for Anxiety’s room. He needed some way to explain his absence. A simple “Anxiety is Anxiety” wouldn’t work for much longer, Roman knew it.

He went through drawers, looked in the cupboards, checked under his mattress. Looking for a diary, a notebook, somewhere the emo monster could have written some kind of explanation.

He found what he was looking for soon enough. He opened it up, eagerly scanning the page for a clue, any clue.

_27th September_  
_Dear diary,_  
_Roman needs to stop going on those reckless adventures. It’s getting harder to keep up with him. Then again, it’s my own fault for not dealing with the monsters before they become problems._  
_I suppose there are worse things than having a concussed Princey clinging to me._

Roman frowned, flipping to another entry.

_25th November_  
_Dear diary,_  
_Is it just me or is Princey getting nicer?_  
_Either way, I still had to save his dumb ass. Changing forms is getting more tiring. At least the others still haven’t found out. I can’t imagine what they’d say if they knew. Oh wait, yes I can. Prince would talk about how I really am a monster and then would probably kill me and keep my feathers as trophies._  
_Never mind the fact that I’ve been saving his dumb ass whenever he can’t save it himself._

Something inside of Roman crumbled away, leaving only a deep pit of dread.

_24th January_  
_Dear diary,_  
_I think Patton knows. About my true form. He’s been nice. Nicer than usual. I think he’s scared of me? Then again, I look like a monster like this…_

_3rd March_  
_Dear diary,  
_Roman took me out stargazing last night. We ended up staying up and talking about all kinds of things until dawn came. I never thought he would look so beautiful with his hair all messed up and his voice all scratchy and…__

__

_28th March_  
_… Would he trust me if I told him the truth now?_  
_I shouldn’t risk it. I have to protect Thomas. Even if the others think I’m completely useless._

Roman flipped to the most recent entry, his vision strangely blurry.

_21st May_  
_Dear diary,_  
_I think I love him._

Quietly, Roman put the journal back where he found it, his hands shaking and head spinning like a top. “Roman? What are you doing in here?” Patton asked from the doorway. It sounded far away, muffled by the pounding in the royal’s ears.

“I…”

“Roman?” Oh god. That was Logan. They were both there.

“I killed him. I-” Roman couldn’t even look them in the eye as he said it. “I killed Anxiety.” The answering silence was enough for Roman.

They would never look at him the same way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr at [princeyandanxiety](http://princeyandanxiety.tumblr.com)!

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr at [princeyandanxiety](http://princeyandanxiety.tumblr.com)!


End file.
